US Marine Corps Officer

Start Date: 2004-05-01End Date: 2011-12-07

Served with Combat Assault Battalion (Okinawa, JP); TF Phoenix (eastern Afghanistan, Kabul, Mazar Sharif); Battalion Landing Team, 2nd Battalion, 1st Marines (throughout Asia); 1st Marine Special Operations Battalion (Camp Pendleton) 1st Combat Engineer Battalion (Helmand, Afghanistan) -Selected to form a team of US Marines conducting foreign internal defense (FID). Served as the senior advisor to a company of Afghan National Army (ANA) soldiers throughout their training and deployment to the Tora Bora region of Afghanistan. Conducted operations in concert with US Army Special Forces, Tactical HUMINT Teams and SIGINT teams. Established control of a vital population center through intelligence-driven patrolling, key-leader engagement, and counter-improvised explosive device (CIED) operations--effectively denying key terrain to the insurgency and terror groups. Provided training and counsel to Afghan leaders, vastly improving the discipline, professionalism, effectiveness and esprit de corps of a company of Afghan soldiers. - Directly contributed to the development, formation, training and deployment to southwestern Afghanistan of the first Marine Special Operations Task Force (MARSOTF). -Led a separate platoon of Marines conducting foreign internal defense (FID) during Theater Security Cooperation missions throughout Asia. Conducted realistic conventional, counterinsurgency and counter-terrorism training of allied units, to include the Philippine Army and Marines, the Republic of Korea Marines, and the Japanese Ground Self-Defense Force in urban operations, advanced demolitions and counter-improvised explosive device (CIED) techniques. - Planned and executed a battalion (reinforced) deployment for training in vicinity of the Korean DMZ; integrated a battalion of US Marines and a reinforced battalion of Korean Marines for tactical training exchanges and live-fire exercises. - Planned Theater Security Cooperation exercises in Malaysia, Thailand and mainland Japan.